Category: Recovery

Is Marijuana Really That Bad for My Kids?

Marijuana, often referred to as weed, pot, or cannabis is harmful to humans. You must do all you can to ensure that your kids totally abstain from the drug. Some of its negative effects include:

• Health problems – Marijuana makes people cough and easily catch a cold. It is known to cause panic attacks and ultimately heart problems. The drug also causes high blood pressure and loss of memory. It is also hard on the lungs often resulting in lung cancer. People who use the drug also get red eyes, have dry mouths, and become sleepy and abnormally hungry.
• It is illegal – Anyone who engages in using, buying, or selling the drug illegally risks being arrested and jailed. Use of marijuana in school is also prohibited; if you are found, you risk being expelled. Kids must also understand that using marijuana reduces their chances of getting a job with most employers.
• It is not always pure – Sometimes marijuana has several other additives that may make it even more harmful. For example, sometimes the drug is wrapped in tobacco leaves. This is referred to as a Blunt. This concurrent use of cannabis and tobacco is believed to increase cannabis dependency symptoms.
• It is addictive – Addiction is defined as the compulsive use of a substance, even when its negative consequences are known. Unfortunately, addiction increases the need to use increased amounts of a substance to get the same effect. Pot is known to be psychologically addictive, meaning that its withdrawal symptoms include depression, mood swings, and anxiety.
• It can make them do stupid things – Pot alters the functioning of the brain which can result in doing things one would not ordinarily do. The THC found in marijuana is known to disrupt functioning of nerve cells which affects memory. Users cannot think clearly nor can they make good decisions.
• Marijuana NEVER solves any problem – Finally, kids must understand that use of marijuana won’t solve their problems. Instead, research shows that kids who smoke pot perform poorly in school and lack critical thinking. If there is a problem, the kids are better off raising the issues with their parents.

Click below or call Visions Adolescent Treatment Center on 866-889-3665 to schedule your consultation.

Adolescents and Teenage Addiction Treatment

Adolescent and teenage addiction treatment at Visions aims at motivating residents to identify the harmful effects of drugs, help them stop abuse, and assist them in achieving and sustaining abstinence. At the end of the treatment period, the teen should be able to live a drug free life and become more productive at school, in the family and in the society at large.  

The path to addiction normally starts with the voluntary act of taking the first few doses or rounds. Over time, the user’s ability to choose when to use the drug is compromised; seeking and using the drug soon becomes compulsive. Such behavior results from an extended exposure on brain functioning. Addiction is therefore a disease of the brain that affects several brain circuits including those involved in motivation and reward, memory and learning, and inhibitory control over one’s behavior.

The first phase of treatment usually involves withdrawal from the problem/use of the substance. This can be a very difficult period on the addict because it comes with several physical and psychological effects, such as sleeplessness, nausea, vomiting, chills, sweats, muscle aches, and cramps. The teen might also suffer emotional stressors such as irritability, anxiety, fevers, mood swings, and even depression. While these withdrawal symptoms may not be life threatening, they may have a significant impact on the resident. Visions helps adolescents understand the misconception that drugs can solve their problems. Residents are helped to identify situations where drugs were used to cope with problems and assisted in developing new, effective problem-solving strategies.

The teens and adolescents must be accorded special treatment, because addiction is a personal condition. Some of the principles of a successful treatment plan include:

• Attending to multiple needs of the resident and not just the drug abuse.
• Attending treatment for an adequate amount of time.
• Counseling at both the individual level and in a group to help the individual deal with everyday stressors.
• Medication to relieve symptoms.
• Treatment must be continually monitored, assessed, and modified accordingly to ensure that it meets changing needs.
• Affected teens must be tested and treated for other mental disorders.
• Teens are also be encouraged to identify and change behaviors that may trigger relapse.

Call 866-889-3665 to speak to a Visions Adolescent Teen Treatment Center professional.

Find a Treatment Center for My Depressed Child in Southern California – Teen Depression Treatment

Children, from a young age into their teens, are known to be a rebellious lot, often sulking and quite emotional. However, as a parent you’ll have to be very careful not to confuse your teen’s depression with a normal teenage experience.  

You’ll hear most parents ask “and what is she supposed to be depressed over?” This already tells you that the parent imagines that childhood should be a carefree, stress free period. What these parents fail to understand is that even children worry about things like grades, peer acceptance, and even parental acceptance. No child wants to live with these pressures from one day to the next. The good news is that depression is very treatable.

Causes of Depression in Children

Depression in children is a bit different from adult depression because it is almost impossible to establish the exact cause of the depression. There are no tests that can tell whether or not the child is depressed, nor are there tests to pinpoint the causes.

There are, however, several predisposing factors that you should be aware of. These include a history of mental illnesses in the family, the loss of a parent at an early age, abandonment, divorce, and chronic illnesses.

Signs and Symptoms

Depression is rather personal, so you should not expect two children to exhibit similar signs or symptoms. A depressed child will possess one or more of the symptoms below.

• Extended period of irritability and/or sadness
• Low self-esteem characterized by statements such as “I am stupid”
• Losing interest in activities he or she used to enjoy
• Altered appetite, eating either too much or too little
• Lack of or too much sleep
• Struggles to concentrate
• Emotional, angry
• Physical pains such as head and stomach aches
• Recurring thoughts and mentions of suicide and/or death

What to Do

If you live in southern California, take the child to Visions Treatment Center immediately if you notice the symptoms named above. Doctors usually provide both medication and psychotherapy to deal with depression. Medication helps free the child of symptoms if the depression is caused, wholly or in part, by psychological factors. Therapy may help them deal with their past in a healthy way while arming them with skills to cope with the stresses of growing up.

Call 866-889-3665 to talk to our specialist about teen depression treatment.

How Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers Can Help Your Teen With Their Depression 

Findings show that one in eight teens suffer from depression. What is unfortunate is that sometimes you never get to see a clue of the depression on their faces! However, depression is treatable.  

What Causes Depression in Teens

Depression in teens, just like in adults can result from performing poorly in areas they expected to excel. For example, he or she expects to do well in class so when the results come out and they are below his or her expectations, they may feel worthless and inadequate. Other factors that can lead to teen depression include social status with peers, family life, and sexual orientation. Many also become depressed if they lose a family member or a close friend, if they are involved in independence conflicts with their parents, if they breakup with a boyfriend, or when bullied or harassed at school or elsewhere.

You can tell if your teen is depressed by observing any combination of the following symptoms;

• Difficulty in concentration
• Unexplained pains all over the body
• Irresponsible behavior such as forgetting obligations
• Use of drugs
• Episodes of memory loss
• Anxiety, sadness and hopelessness
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Use of drugs

How Visions Will Help

Visions Adolescent treatment Centers implement a safe, supportive, and intensive program that helps affected teens come to terms with their depression and learn to make positive choices that enable them to live a healthy and productive life.

Depression mainly comes in when these teens face daily stressors but fail to formulate solutions to these challenges. Visions Centers help these kids develop effective problem strategies. They get to learn that everyone faces daily challenges and that each challenge can be solved in a unique way. There is never a need to engage in destructive behavior just because one is stressed. If you let emotions get the better of you, it will not just affect you, it will affect your family, friends, and even your future. At Visions, these teens learn to recognize and change behavior and problematic attitudes that may trigger relapse. The family is usually involved in the treatment process to foster understanding and encourage collective effort.

Call 866-889-3665 to speak to a specialist at Visions about teen depression treatment.

Is Your Teen Depressed? – Schedule a Consultation with a Visions Psychologist

Teen depression treatment starts within the family. Learning about the signs, symptoms, and effects of depression can help the teen and the family in several ways including;

• Family and friends can learn and understand the symptoms of the condition and how it can impact on the teen’s relationship with others, willingness towards class and school and the ability to complete assignments.
• The family learns how to make the environment safer for their depressed teen.
• Family learns about the various treatment options including the pros and cons of each option.
• And most importantly, the family can learn how to help the depressed teen.  

There are three categories of teen depression; mild, moderate and major depression. Teens with mild and moderate depression can be treated with counseling (psychotherapy) alone. It is only if the depressive symptoms don’t improve in 6-12 weeks, or if the symptoms actually worsen that antidepressant medication may be recommended.  Adolescents with severe depression are treated using psychotherapy programs such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal psychotherapy, plus one or more medications.

Psychotherapy at Visions

Psychological services at Visions are provided by contracted psychologists. These psychologists, upon receipt of a psychological treatment referral forms conduct several comprehensive assessments regarding personality characteristics, social adaptability, intellectual functioning, and screenings – to see if there are any organic dysfunctions. Visions assessments are first class, tools used are modern and the inventories and questionnaires are standardized. The psychologists have adequate projective skills to deal with clinical symptoms discovered. Information gathered from psychological assessments is used in forming interdisciplinary treatment plans and making dispositional decisions.

Initial therapy often involves identifying factors that are contributing to and sustaining the depression. Unproductive behavior patterns are changed.

Objectives of psychological services include;

• Encouraging and motivating the teens to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Helping them realize the presence of destructive behaviors in their lives and their effects on themselves, as well as their parents and friends.
• Helping the teens learn alternative behaviors that are more effective at solving their problems.
• Helping them identify and change behaviors that may cause relapse.

Click below or call 866-889-3665 to speak with a Visions professional about teen depression treatment.

Teen Depression Treatment without Losing Your Child

Until recently, it was thought that children and teens don’t get depressed. Parents used to think that these young ones actually had nothing to worry about as long as most of their needs are provided. Sadly, they do. Recent statistics place suicide as the third leading cause of death, and most suicide incidences in teens are caused by untreated depression. Other worrying statistics about teen depression include;  

• The average age of depression is 14 years
• By the time they are 20, 20% of adolescents will have experienced depression.
• More than 70 percent of teens who undergo treatment often show reduction in symptoms. However, only 20% of these teens usually get any treatment for their depression.
• Untreated depression can lead to alcohol and drug abuse. Depression may also cause academic failure as well as eating and sleeping disorders.

Treatment

Depending on the severity of the depression, the teen can be treated by counseling or using medications.

Psychotherapy – Counseling as a treatment for depression is also known as psychotherapy or talk therapy. It is diagnosed for teens with mild or moderate depression. The main aim of psychological treatment is to teach patients and their families or guardians to understand both themselves and the nature of their depression. They are taught how to deal with low moods and introduced to alternative, more productive behaviors. These kids also learn to manage their relationships and are taught to develop useful strategies for stressors associated with their depression.

The teen, family, teachers and the therapist must work together for successful treatment.

Antidepressant medication – severe depression or what is medically known as major depression is treated using one or more medication plans in addition to psychotherapy.  Medication is prescribed by a pediatrician or a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is simply a medical doctor who specializes in treatment of mental health problems.

Treatment with antidepressants helps reestablish normal balance of chemicals in the brain. Classes of antidepressants that can be used in treatment of depression in teens include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). As a parent or guardian of the teen, you should discuss the pros and cons of the prescribed medication beforehand. You may also want to know how long the antidepressants will take before there are observable changes.

Please call 866-889-3665 or click below to speak to a Visions professional about teen depression treatment.

Kids and Substance Abuse – substance abuse programs

Abuse of drugs and other illegal substances in kids is on the rise. You might ask why these young people would start using drugs at such tender ages. Well, the writing is on the wall, many of these kids learn about tobacco smoking and use of alcohol directly from adults, often their parents. Others abuse drugs as a sign of rebellion, out of curiosity or to escape from situations.  

When you are certain your kid is abusing a drug, the first step is to talk to them about it. Additionally, you’ll need to find an effective substance abuse program to help the child rediscover the importance of, and live a drug-free life.

Selecting the right drug abuse program

There are a number of factors to be considered when selecting a substance abuse program for the kid.

• Of course the program must be affordable; you don’t want to pick a program that leaves you in huge debt at the end of the treatment period.
• You may also want to know whether or not your insurance plan covers for this need. If they do, well and good. If not, you may have to raise the whole budget on your own.
• Consider the location of the program. How far is it from home? Is it accessible? Will you be able to visit your loved one as often as possible? Does the environment promise a peaceful recovery?
• Facilities – Consider things like nutrition and education. If your kid is going to stay at the facility, you’d also want to know the status of the sleeping quarters. How many residents share a room? Do males live separately from females? Will the diet be appropriate and sufficient for your child?
• Philosophy of the treatment program – what are goals of the program? How do they intend to achieve these goals?
• Program accreditation and licensing – confirm that the program is credited by the state it is in. Also ensure that it is run by licensed, well-trained professionals.
• After-care support programs – does the program offer after care support services such as referrals and support groups? If so, at what cost and how effective is the program.

Great substance addiction treatment programs have a clear strategy of returning patients to a healthy, more productive lifestyle.

Click below or call 866-889-3665 to speak to a professional about substance abuse programs.

Southern California Teen Depression Centers

Teen depression treatment has to be a continual effort. This is because depression doesn’t come once in a lifetime. Even adults sometimes get depressed. It is therefore important that depressed teens get to fully learn how to deal with life’s stressors so that they don’t get overwhelmed in the future. If they can understand what depression really is, learn about its symptoms and know how depression affects their futures and the lives of the people close to them, these adolescents would be motivated to achieve and maintain healthy behaviors. They would strive to stay away from problematic attitudes that stimulate relapse.  

That is exactly what Visions Teen Depression Treatment Centers in southern California aim to achieve; helping these teens recognize the existence and impacts of destructive behaviors in their lives and equipping them with skills necessary to formulate alternative, effective solutions to everyday problems.

At the southern California teen depression treatment facilities, depression treatment is a consolidated effort where the patients, their families and therapists work together to return the teens to a healthy and productive lifestyle and help them sustain this status. The treatment plan is accomplished in four stages;

1. Therapeutic treatment – therapeutic services are provided to reduce symptoms. Patients are assessed on an individual level and their medical, psychiatric and psychological needs attended to. Services are provided by licensed medical doctors and psychiatrists.
2. Adjunct services – these include nutritional, equine and conditioning services and are provided to help the patients achieve faster, long-term recovery. Other services under this category include an onsite school, psychological services and discharge and aftercare programs.
3. Family treatment – when your teen is depressed, the family is normally equally affected. Family treatments enable this group to understand depression in teens and their roles in improving the patient’s life. They are taught to remain supportive and hopeful during and after treatment.
4. Alumni programs – alumni programs are designed to help teens who have undergone treatment sustain healthy lifestyles. Residents attend up to two aftercare group sessions weekly and will have their support calls answered by the alumni coordinator. Alumni also have access to annual alumni events.

70% of teens who undergo depression treatment usually exhibit a reduction in symptoms. Please click below or call one of our specialists on 866-889-3665 to schedule your consultation.